PChome Online Chairman Jan Hung-tze (left) and Rakuten Asia CEO Hiroshi Takasawa (right) / Photo courtesy of CAN
Taipei, March 14 (CNA) Two e-commerce entities -- PChome Online Inc. of Taiwan and Rakuten Inc. of Japan -- signed an agreement Thursday to strengthen exchanges between their members and provide joint services and content, with the aim of building customer loyalty.
Through the strategic alliance between the two e-commerce platforms, their members will be allowed to accumulate and exchange PChome's P-coins and Rakuten points for online transactions in both countries, according to a statement issued Thursday by the two companies.
Under the deal, consumers in Taiwan will be able to shop for Rakuten products on PChome's C2C marketplace ruten.com and have their purchases sent directly to them.
Meanwhile, special offers for Taiwan Rakuten Card holders will be promoted on PChome shopping sites, while PChome will sell Rakuten's Kobo e-readers on its PChome 24h site, which guarantees a 24-hour delivery service.
Jan Hung-tze, chairman of PChome Online, said the alliance aims to provide convenient, borderless online and offline services by integrating multiple functions of online and physical stores in both countries.
According to Rakuten Asia CEO Hiroshi Takasawa, Taiwan is an important market. Rakuten's goal is to offer Taiwanese consumers more benefits, new and exciting means of shopping, and various ways of obtaining Rakuten points, he said.
PChome went public in 2005 and became the first listed e-commerce company on Taiwan's stock market.
